Resolution
by Moonlight Shadow4
Summary: James Potter swore to make Lily Evans his while she swore to always resist him. Growing up and getting older has a way of changing our minds about a lot of things...while some things stay the same. One-shot at beginning of seventh year. LxJ


**A/N: **Just another one-shot I wrote that I posted on dA and Tumblr first. Again, working more on my grad school apps for creative writing and working on the webcomic I write and co-create, _Ever Night._

**Resolution**

The first day back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry began with a temperate September breeze, the teasing and twisting hues of autumn fire coming down from the trees, and a new Head Boy and Head Girl in place from Gryffindor House:

Lily Evans and James Potter-

Or, as the whispers from Slytherin said, the Mudblood and the Blood Traitor.

Lily paid the whispers flying around little mind as she helped Prefects and first years alike to the carriages, across the lake, to the great hall, and, after sorting, the young Gryffindors to the tower. Through all of this she attempted to maintain a healthy distance from James and, in all the hustle and bustle of a new school year, they had little contact at all, save James's wicked smiles sent her way or a quick word of coordination as they corralled the younger students, mischief makers and novices alike, into their proper places.

It felt odd, Lily realized, to be at the start of her seventh year. Six years had passed-six! What changes she had gone through since she had sat anxious in front of the entire school, the sorting hat atop her head.

There were a few ginger-haired students entering this year.

Lily had felt a slight pang in her chest upon seeing an auburn-haired girl sitting nervously next to a raven-haired boy.

The girl went to Ravenclaw while the boy went to Hufflepuff.

After the later hours had come and the new Prefects were initiated by their superiors, Lily wandered out of Gryffindor Tower and made an aimless ambling path to the Quidditch Pitch, a place she never expected to find herself at so late at night, let alone by herself and of her own accord.

There was a soft whoosh, and when Lily looked up, she spotted a broom doing slow but elegant dives and curves, curling and flourishing expertly through the sky. The stars shined down in a beautiful array of prismatic diamond light. Lily had never considered that red dwarfs and white dwarfs could be seen by the naked eye, but tonight they were, along with Venus and Mars; both glowed ruddy yet seemingly more distant in comparison to the generous spread of stars.

Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she dared closer and watched as James took the broom along the pitch. He zoomed high and low, accelerating and decelerating, until he whipped the entire broomstick into a fast loop and, upside-down, zipped towards the entrance by the stands where she stood, whereupon he righted himself and stopped about a foot from her face.

Lily leaned her head back a bit to study James's sweaty, wide-eyed face.

"Didn't expect to see you out here, Evans," he said after gulping down some air and wiping his face with glove-clad hand. "Thought you'd be inside. Why are you on the Quidditch Pitch? Come to scold me for taking a midnight ride without permission? Hardly seems nice on the first day back, Evans, since I haven't had a chance to cause any mischief at all-"

"No." Lily held up a hand, a wry smile half on her lips. "I just wandered out here. You're Head Boy now, Potter. You have some liberties. I just went for a walk and found myself here."

James made the intelligent response of "Oh?" and gawked before shaking his head and plastering a cheeky grin on his face. "Sure your heart didn't lead you out here?"

Lily threw her hands up. "_Really,_Potter? Our first night back and you're already launching back into this, after six years and you still-"

This time it was James's turn to interrupt. "I'm only teasing, Evans. Cool your head." He laughed-a surprisingly pleasant, masculine sound. He mussed up his windswept hair more. "I still like you but cheap tricks aren't going to do it with you. Have a nice summer?"

"I...what?" The sudden change of conversation had caught Lily off-guard. She blinked and nodded. "...went to Australia to see family of my mum's. You?"

"Stayed at home, mostly. Had Sirius around. Drank too much and slept too little. Learned a lot though. Had a lot to think about from last year." At that, James frowned.

"Did you?" pressed Lily gently, genuinely curious.

"Yeah." James touched the back of his neck, still floating at her eye level on his broom with eyes not meeting her gaze. "I know you...you've found out about Remus's "furry little problem" haven't you, right?"

"Yes...by accident, but yes. He let it slip last year."

A long pause punctuated only by autumn wind passed.

Then Lily dared: "Found out a bit about your animagi forms."

James started, nearly topping off his broom, crying, "Oi! That gibbering git! What kind of mate rats out his friends like that, eh?"

Lily snickered. James stared. Then he smiled, too.

"I s'pose it's mostly his secret to keep or tell in the long run, eh?" sighed James with a laugh. "He must really trust you."

She gave a shrug but felt pleased. "He's a good friend. I hope he does. I do trust him after all."

"Well, Remus usually gives what he's got." James finally hopped down from his broomstick. Standing in front of her, Lily could see he had grown over the summer, now nearly a head and a half taller than her. She, however, had remained the same.

Her face heated up. Lily chanced a look at James's eyes. He was peering down at her. "You look like you've changed, Potter."

"Hrn." He grunted. Again his hand flew up to his hair, rumpling it, though this time nervously. "Wanted to tell you that."

"What?"

"I was hoping to get a chance to tell you. I've resolved to be a better person. I was such a tosser the past six years," here James pointed a finger at her playfully, winking, "but don't think I'm going to stop being a flirt. I'm going to stop picking on people for my amusement, unless it's Sirius or Peter...maybe Remus." He grinned. "If I can't tease my mates, what's the point of calling ourselves Marauders?"

Lily gave a shrug, laughing. "Not sure. But I thought the Marauders were all about pranks."

"That's only one of our many charming services we offer, Evans!" James swept an arm out, glancing skyward. "No, we'll perform another service that should have been a better known Marauders feature."

"And that is?"

"Defending people who cannot defend themselves by both protecting and educating them. These are some scary and trying times now, Evans, what with Voldemort and his Death Eaters running around now, people have to be prepared." James peered back to her, hazel eyes earnest. "Lots of people could get hurt. _Innocent_people who didn't do anything. Muggles and Purebloods alike-anyone who would stand in his way or could be called traitor or impure in this insane crusade he has for, for...for what? For power? It's insane, that's what it is, bloody off his nut, insane."

Lily had seldom seen James get this passionate before and she found herself smiling from both shock and approval. "You've...really changed."

James stared at her for a long moment before hanging his head. "I sure hope so. If he's acting like a child having a tantrum because Mummy didn't love him enough, how was I any different?"

His voice was despondent. Lily frowned. He seemed to be a bit hard on himself. Who knew James Potter could be so self-critical? "But you're not trying to kill people."

"Yeah but a bullying toerag isn't much better when you look at how small of a pond I had to work with," he retorted, sounding annoyed though not meeting her gaze still. "People like him target my family...because we're Pureblood and don't care about the pedigree of a witch or a wizard. You're incredible because of your skill-"

Lily touched his arm, heart beating faster. Did he really mean 'you' as in her or 'you' as in general-

He seemed to hear her silent question and looked back to her, smiling sheepishly. "Yes, I mean you, Evans. You're from a Muggle family and you have got to be one of the most powerful young witches I've ever met. Even my mum's heard your name and think you have something special inside you."

"Your mum?" Lily arched her eyebrows. "How does your mum know about me?"

"The Potters are pretty involved with Hogwarts and such." James cleared his throat, actually pinking beneath his glasses. "I have talked about you to her. A lot. A lot-a lot, actually."

Lily shared his blush, darkly. "Git like you would. Heard you talk once or twice to your mates about me, Potter. You're not as clandestine as you think."

"Maybe not," he agreed, "but you're a far better person than me in every way, Lily. Except maybe the peeing-standing-up thing. I still excel at that, being male and all." He laughed when she struck him on the shoulder.

"I hope this new leaf works out well for you, Potter."

"I'm hoping so." James looked seriously at her then grinned again, this time slower and sweeter than before. "I'm hoping you'll see the good things about me and help me with that-and maybe, just _maybe,_you'll start calling me James and I can call you Lily."

A thrill shot through her spine: _Lily._

She wet her lips, pensive.

Another long silence.

"Well," said James, clearing his throat again, "should head inside. Night, Evans."

He strode a few paces passed her when she called out, "James!" and she could hear him freeze. "If you're so...serious about this. I suppose...you could stop calling me Evans." She bit her lip while one hand balled up to press over her heart. The beat fluttered anxiously beneath her skin. "Just start calling me Lily."

"Lily," she heard him sigh, a smile in his voice. "Lily. I like that. Lily. Lovely little Lily. Lily, Lily, Lily."

"But," she said quietly, silencing him, "only if you can keep to what you said you were going to do, about being a better person. If you don't, we go back to the way we were before."

"And miss this? No way in hell. I wouldn't be able to stand going back to just Evans and Potter. I know there are consequences for my actions, I really know that now. Sometimes," he said, "change is good."

Lily nodded. She waited a bit before turning, seeing him standing there, still, with a hand extended and a quiet smile on his face. "You waited?"

"You're giving me a chance, right? Let me walk you inside."

Lily padded over to him. Her hand reached out but she hesitated with her palm hovering above his; James stood still. "...No catch?"

"No catch," he replied.

Gently, Lily laid her hand in his.

James squeezed her hand. They began walking. The fire-colored leaves crunched beneath their feet and the sky continued to sparkle above them. James's broom made a soft swishing over the grass.

"New moon tonight."

"Means change," she replied.

"Good time for a resolution to start, eh?"

Lily looked to him, met his eyes, and smiled warmly for him. "As good as any."


End file.
